Former CU star Jenny Simpson shatters U.S. mark in 2-mile at Drake Relays

Associated Press

Posted:
04/28/2018 12:38:23 PM MDT

DES MOINES, Iowa - Native Iowan Jenny Simpson broke the U.S. record in the two-mile race to highlight Friday's session of the Drake Relays.

Simpson shattered the American mark in the somewhat obscure event by finishing in 9 minutes, 16.78 seconds. The record had been set in 2014 by Shannon Rowbury at 9:20.25.

Simpson's time was the eighth fastest ever recorded in the two-mile, a race she teamed up with meet director Blake Bolden to bring to Drake in an effort to give fans a marquee race on Friday, since most of Drake's elite events scheduled for Saturday.

With a near-packed house cheering her on, Simpson clinched the mark with a final lap of 63.1 seconds.

Simpson, who was born in Webster City, improved to 11-0 in Drake Relays events.

"The record was hard. It was really windy, and I was out there on my own. I talked to my coach about how I was really putting myself in a vulnerable position by going out hard and being alone with all the wind. But I really wanted to do it for the fans, even though the conditions weren't perfect," Simpson said.

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